Named after their biggest hit, I’M YOUR PUPPET includes all of James And Bobby Purify’s recordings during that dizzy two-year period, including both LPs, all non-album tracks and a clutch of recordings which only surfaced in 2002. Many tracks are currently unavailable on CD.

• JAMES AND BOBBY PURIFY shot to fame in late 1966 with their debut single for Bell Records, ‘I’m Your Puppet’, which quickly became established as a soul classic. Written by Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, the song was a smash hit, reaching the US Top 10 Pop and R&B Billboard charts, and was nominated for a Grammy. Thereafter, the pair recorded two albums and several singles for Bell before eventually leaving Bell in 1968.

• Named after their biggest hit, I’M YOUR PUPPET includes all of James And Bobby Purify’s recordings during that dizzy two-year period, including both LPs, all non-album tracks and a clutch of recordings which only surfaced in 2002. Many tracks are currently unavailable on CD.

• Assembled by the same team behind last year’s acclaimed Staple Singers box set of their Epic albums, this worthwhile double-CD set shines a welcome light on one of the classiest soul duos of the Sixties – cousins James Purify and Robert Dickey, who harked from Florida and were discovered by producer Don Schroeder.

• After disbanding, James Purify worked as a solo singer before forming a new-look James & Bobby Purify with new singing partner Ben Moore, recording for Casablanca Records and enjoying renewed success with a re-recorded version of ‘I’m Your Puppet’ in 1976. The pair continued to tour well into the 1980s. While James also continued with a solo career, Bobby did likewise (with encouragement from Ray Charles) and eventually joined acclaimed gospel outfit The Five Blind Boys Of Alabama.

TRACKLIST

DISC ONE: JAMES AND BOBBY PURIFY
1. WISH YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO GO
2. SO MANY REASONS
3. KNOCK ON WOOD
4. I’VE BEEN LOVING YOU TOO LONG (TO STOP NOW)
5. HITCH HIKE
6. I’VE GOT EVERYTHING (I’VE GOT YOU)
7. I’M YOUR PUPPET
8. YOU LEFT THE WATER RUNNING
9. A CHANGE IS GONNA COME
10. BLAME ME (DON’T BLAME MY HEART)
11. YOU CAN’T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWNNON-ALBUM TRACKS
12. DO UNTO ME
13. EVERYBODY NEEDS SOMEBODY
14. I CAN REMEMBER
15. I WAS BORN TO LOSE OUT
16. HELP YOURSELF (TO ALL MY LOVIN’)
17. LAST PIECE OF LOVE
18. UNTIE ME
19. WE’RE FINALLY GONNA MAKE IT

DISC TWO: THE PURE SOUND OF THE PURIFYS
1. I TAKE WHAT I WANT
2. HELLO THERE
3. SIXTEEN TONS
4. I DON’T WANT TO HAVE TO WAIT
5. WHEN SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH MY BABY
6. LET LOVE COME BETWEEN US
7. SHAKE A TAIL FEATHER
8. SOOTHE ME
9. GOODNESS GRACIOUS
10. I LOVE YOU (MOST OF ALL)
11. YOU DON’T LOVE MENON-ALBUM TRACKS
12. I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS YOU GOT
13. SECTION CTRACKS UNISSUED AT THE TIME
14. KEEP PUSHIN’ ME
15. JUST LIKE OLD TIMES
16. MY ADORABLE ONE
17. THE WEEPER
18. SHE AIN’T GONNA DO RIGHT
19. SOMEBODY CARES

DISC ONE: JAMES AND BOBBY PURIFY
1. WISH YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO GO
2. SO MANY REASONS
3. KNOCK ON WOOD
4. I’VE BEEN LOVING YOU TOO LONG (TO STOP NOW)
5. HITCH HIKE
6. I’VE GOT EVERYTHING (I’VE GOT YOU)
7. I’M YOUR PUPPET
8. YOU LEFT THE WATER RUNNING
9. A CHANGE IS GONNA COME
10. BLAME ME (DON’T BLAME MY HEART)
11. YOU CAN’T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN
NON-ALBUM TRACKS
12. DO UNTO ME
13. EVERYBODY NEEDS SOMEBODY
14. I CAN REMEMBER
15. I WAS BORN TO LOSE OUT
16. HELP YOURSELF (TO ALL MY LOVIN’)
17. LAST PIECE OF LOVE
18. UNTIE ME
19. WE’RE FINALLY GONNA MAKE IT

DISC TWO: THE PURE SOUND OF THE PURIFYS
1. I TAKE WHAT I WANT
2. HELLO THERE
3. SIXTEEN TONS
4. I DON’T WANT TO HAVE TO WAIT
5. WHEN SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH MY BABY
6. LET LOVE COME BETWEEN US
7. SHAKE A TAIL FEATHER
8. SOOTHE ME
9. GOODNESS GRACIOUS
10. I LOVE YOU (MOST OF ALL)
11. YOU DON’T LOVE ME
NON-ALBUM TRACKS
12. I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS YOU GOT
13. SECTION C
TRACKS UNISSUED AT THE TIME
14. KEEP PUSHIN’ ME
15. JUST LIKE OLD TIMES
16. MY ADORABLE ONE
17. THE WEEPER
18. SHE AIN’T GONNA DO RIGHT
19. SOMEBODY CARES